All about glitter and grammar

The problem with “obsession”

There are many tweets or article tags that suggest this new thing is a “must-have,” something you need to obsess over, or something you must do, and it has gotten tiring.

It seems the advertising for particular articles has hit a low-point in creativity. They have now resorted to blatantly stating you NEED their product.

But I don’t need a “new obsession.” Why do I need to even obsess over a celebrity’s new haircut anyway? If that’s what you want to show me, a celebrity haircut, then why not say, “Jennifer Lawrence looks fierce without her long locks” or something along those lines. I want an unhealthy obsession with concerning myself in other people’s trivial business.

I feel like these lines contribute to the stereotype that girls and women have an inherent need to consume media like it’s a drug. Apparently we all need something to fuss over. To complain about. But we don’t need that. If I want to comment on a new nail color, like “oh that’s cool. I want that for myself,” then fine. But I won’t die if I don’t have it.

Plus, I don’t need to use the same lipstick as Kylie Jenner. Nor do I NEED the same lips. So why is it being forced upon me in this way? Advertising or promoting can be clever and fun, and even informational, but with words or phrases like “obsession,” “need,” or “to die for,” are perpetuating a stigma of women being materialistic and not being able to think for themselves.

There are better ways to word things. That’s what social media writers, advertisers, and other content writer’s were hired for: to be creative. This style of attracting attention is old and overused. Let’s come up with better ways to talk about beauty. I don’t need to obsess over this new mascara, but if I was ever in a place where I had to attend a sad movie, go to the gym after, then attend a fancy dinner while keeping my makeup intact, I would buy it.

Now see? Now I know why I should consider buying the product. Not because someone else is using it, but because it’ll actually be useful.